Watch movement



June 30, 1964 R. BEAUMANN 3,138,916

WATCH MOVEMENT Filed Feb. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a PVT 7 INVENTORRaymond Beaumann June 30, 1964 R. BEAUMANN 3,138,916

WATCH MOVEMENT Filed Feb. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 13% r /A v 2INVENTOR Raymond Beaumann 3,138,916 WATCH MOVEMENT Raymond Beaumann, LesBois, Switzerland, assignor to Derby S.A., Neuchatel, Switzerland FiledFeb. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 175,438 Claims priority, application SwitzerlandMar. 2, 1961 I Claims. (CI. 58-59) The present invention concerns awatch movement for use with a sweep or conventional seconds hand, inwhich the axis of the so-called third wheel assembly and the axis of theescape wheel assembly is eachat equal distances from the axes of the twoseconds wheel assemblies.

There are several prior constructionsof the above kind. In all theseprior watch movements the teeth of the barrel are in mesh with a pinionwhose axis lies in the center of the watch movement. Such pinion iseither coaxially connected with the large driving wheel or an ordinaryintermediate wheel. It is for this reason that the prior watch movementsare complicated and require superposition of wheels and pinio-ns of thegear train so that the total height or thickness of the Watch movementis increased.

I The invention remedies these inconveniences. The watch movementaccording to the invention is characterised in that the teeth of thebarrel mesh with a pinion of the large driving wheel mountedeccentrically with regard to the center of the movement, the largedriving wheel operating the third wheel assembly, and the latter,according to the choice made, either a sweep or conventional secondswheel assembly or seconds gear. The escape wheel assembly or escape gearis driven by the seconds gear, and the axis of the large driving wheelis offset from the axes of the other gears in order to avoidsuperposition of the gear wheels and to obtain reduction of thethickness of the movement. I

The accompanying drawing illustrates by way of examples two embodimentsof the watch movement according to the invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the first embodiment with sweepseconds hand.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line IIII of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the second embodiment withordinary seconds hand.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken along the lines IV-IV and V-Vrespectively of FIG. 3.

The main spring barrel 1 of the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 and 2) hasteeth 2 engaging a large driving wheel pinion 3 whose axis A is radiallyspaced from the center C of the watch movement. The large driving wheel4 meshes with the pinion 5 of the third wheel assembly. The third wheel6 fixed to the arbor of the pinion 5 engages a sweep seconds pinion 7,the arbor 8 of which carries a sweep seconds hand (not shown). The sweepseconds wheel 9 fixed to the arbor 8 is in mesh with the escape pinion10. The escape wheel 11 acts on the pin pallet fork 12. Therefore, thesweep seconds means isaso called direct seconds means. The

large driving wheel assembly 3, 4 and the third wheel assembly 5, 6 areboth rotatably'mountd on the pillar United States Pate i 3,138,916Patented June30, 1964 fixed to the pillar plate 13. The escape wheelassembly 10, 11 is rotatably mounted on the pillar plate 13 and on thetrain wheel bridge 14. The pin pallet fork 12 is rotatably supported onthe pillar plate 13 and on a cock 17. 18 designates the balance and 19(FIG. 1) the hairspring. The barrel ratchet wheel is designated 20 andthe crown wheel 21.

A quadrangular plate 22 with rounded corners is dis posed in a recess ofthe train wheel bridge 14 to which it is fixed by means of a screw 23.The plate 22 carries four cap pieces or bearings 24 to 27, the firstthree cap pieces 24 to 26 serving to rotatably support the third wheelassembly 5, 6, the sweep seconds Wheel assembly 7, 9 and the escapeWheel assembly 10, 11. The cap piece 27 is not used in this embodimentand is only used to support the arbor of an ordinary or conventionalseconds hand when the sweep seconds hand isomitted as is described withreference to FIGS. 3 to 5. The axis B of the third wheel assembly 5, 6and the axis D of the escape wheel assembly 10, 11 is each at equaldistances from the axes of the two seconds wheel assemblies, i.e. fromthecentral axis C and the axis E of the ordinary seconds hand,respectively. Therefore, there is BC=BE and DC=DE (FIG. 1). EEC and ECDform two isosceles triangles having a common base EC. The axis A of thelarge driving wheel assembly 3, 4 is spaced from the axes B, C, D, E, sothat the line ABCD of FIG. 1, indicating the path of force transmissionfrom the large driving wheel to the escapement, is an angular forwardline with no oppositely directed portions.

An intermediate wheel 20 mounted on the arbor of the large driving wheelassembly 3, 4 with friction produced by a wire spring 28 is in mesh withthe minute wheel 30 which engages the cannon pinion 31 that is plate 13and on the train wheel bridge 14. The sweep seconds arbor 8 is rotatablymounted on the train wheel bridge 14 and on a bushing 15 forced into asleeve 16 loosely mounted on the sleeve 16. The pinion 32 of the minuteWheel 3i meshes with the hour Wheel 33. The cannon pinion 31 carries theminute hand (not shown) and the hour wheel 33 the hour hand (not showneither).

The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5 differs from that of FIGS. 1and 2 in that the sweep seconds hand is omitted and replaced by anordinary seconds hand the axis E of which is spaced from the center C ofthe watch movement. For an easy understanding of the drawing,corresponding parts are indicated in FIGS. 3 to 5 with the samereference characters as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The wheel 6 of the third wheel assembly meshes with a pinion 34 for anordinary or eccentric seconds hand (not shown) carried by the arbor 35of said pinion 34. The wheel 36 of the seconds wheel assembly fixed tothe arbor 35 meshes with the pinion 10 of the escape wheel 11 whichcooperates with the pin pallet fork 12. The arbor 35 is rotatablymounted on the pillar plate 13 and on the train wheel bridge 14 and issupported at its upper end by the cap piece 27 having the axis E.

In this second embodiment, as in the first one, the axes B, C, D and Eare disposed in such a way that BC=BE and DC=DE (FIG. 3). The axis A ofthe large driving Wheel assembly 3, 4 is radially spaced from the axesB, C, D and E, so that the line ABED (FIG. 3) indicating the path offorce transmission from the large driving wheel to the escap'ement, isagain an angular forward line with no oppositely directed portions. Inthis way any axial superposition of wheel assemblies of the gear trainis avoided 'in both' embodiments and, therefore, the thickness of thewatch movement is reduced.

In a modified embodiment, the plate 22 may be pro vided with only threecaps pieces, viz: either pieces 24, 26 and 25 or pieces 24, 26 and 27when the movement is equipped with a sweep seconds hand or with anordinary seconds hand. 7

While I have shown and described two embodiments of my invention, I donot wish to restrict the scope of protection thereto, but reserve theright to make such modi- (e) an arbor for each of said three wheelassemblies,

(1) a support, and p (g) four bearings on said support, each bearinghaving an axis,

(1) each of said three wheel. assemblies including a wheel and a pinion,each wheel and pinion being singly mounted on one of said arbors forjoint rotation, j i

(2) said spring barrel and said three wheel assemblies, being meshinglyconnected in the order indicated, i

(3) two of said bearings rotatably supporting the arbors for said thirdwheel assembly and said escape wheel assembly, each of the other two ofsaid bearings-being adapted to rotatably support the arbor of a secondswheel assembly,

(4) said bearings being arranged so as to form, when considered in aplan view, the points of a quadrangle, the individual axes of all ofsaid four bearings thus being spaced from each other.

2. In the watch movement according to claim 1, said first and secondnamed two bearingsbeing arranged so as to form, when considered in aplan view, the points of twoisosceles triangles having a common base,said first named two bearings being at the vertices of said triangles,said second named two bearings being at the ends of said common base. v

3. In the watch movement; according to claim 1, a center, a largedriving wheel assembly meshingly interposed between saidv main springbarrel and said third wheel assembly, a fourth arbor for said largewheel assembly,

and'a fifth bearing to rotatably support said fourth arbor, said fifthbearing, when considered in said plan view, being outside saidquadrangle. V

4. In the watch movement according, to claim 3, said large drivingwheel, third wheel, and seconds wheel assemblies forming a gear traintransmitting motionfrom said main spring barrel'to said escape wheelassembly along an angular forward line free of any oppositely directedportions. I Q

'5. In the Watch movement according to claim 1, said support including atrain wheel bridge, and a plate member fixed to said train wheel bridge,said bearings being mounted on said plate member. i

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS r2,872,775 Maire- Feb. 10, .1959

FOREIGN PATENTS 260,122 Switzerland July 1,1949

1. IN A WATCH MOVEMENT, (A) A MAIN SPRING BARREL, (B) A THIRD WHEELASSEMBLY, (C) AT LEAST A SINGLE SECONDS WHEEL ASSEMBLY, (D) AN ESCAPEWHEEL ASSEMBLY, (E) AN ARBOR FOR EACH OF SAID THREE WHEEL ASSEMBLIES,(F) A SUPPORT, AND (G) FOUR BEARINGS ON SAID SUPPORT, EACH BEARINGHAVING AN AXIS, (1) EACH OF SAID THREE WHEEL ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING AWHEEL AND A PINION, EACH WHEEL AND PINION BEING SINGLY MOUNTED ON ONE OFSAID ARBORS FOR JOINT ROTATION, (2) SAID MAIN SPRING BARREL AND SAIDTHREE WHEEL ASSEMBLIES BEING MESHINGLY CONNECTED IN THE ORDER INDICATED,